Leading with Values: Why Knowing What You Stand For Changes Everything
It's been quiet on my LI page this week - have been processing our harvest and completing some "MUST BE DONE BEFORE THE COLD HITS" house repairs - but I've still been ruminating over the Brene Brown works and what changes I need to make to continue to lead with courage. The one big exercise left on my to-do list is honing my values. I won't do the topic justice, so I do encourage you to read the materials, but let's dig in a little bit.
Values. We all say we have them. Individually we say we have them. Companies say they have them - they tout them in their company value statements, but do whole companies actually know what the values are, understand the impact, and practice them? (Yes, I know I don't have a section for this on the Wolf Diversified website. See above, it's on my to-do list.) I feel like it's a "no". Why?
Well, when I'm looking to make long-term working arrangements with a company, I actually do take a look at their advertised values. If they have a statement, I take a look at it. I also take a look at the "extra" things they do - do they do community outreach? Do they knowingly pollute against policy? What do their employees say about company values and how they trickle down? A recent large company that I worked with ticked all the boxes. Until I started working with them. And then it became clear that there was a really big disconnect between the values being touted at the top, the values being expected at the bottom, and the values the middle tier of management was actually working from. It wasn't good. It was a bad sandwich - the bread was good, but the meat was rancid. The problem was definitely in the middle. And maybe part of it was a value miscommunication, a "those words don't mean what you think they mean". I'd really like to believe it wasn't intentional. So, I'm going to believe that we can do better.
How do we do that?
We start with ourselves.
When was the last time you paused to ask yourself: What are my core values? Not just what sounds nice on paper or looks good in a team bio, but the values that actually guide your choices — the ones that keep you grounded when leadership feels hard.
Brené Brown reminds us that courage and clarity are inseparable. And clarity often starts with knowing our values. Without them, leadership can drift into reaction — managing based on urgency, conflict, or what looks best in the moment. But with them? Leadership becomes intentional, authentic, and deeply human. When we pause and act based on our values, we don't have to worry about the regret-heartburn later.
Ok, great, that's a good step for me, but how does that apply from a leadership perspective?
Why Values Matter in Leadership
1. Values create consistency. Your team doesn’t just want to know what you expect — they want to know why. When leaders act consistently from their values, it builds trust. People may not always like every decision, but they’ll understand it, and they’ll know what to expect from you.
2. Values anchor you in challenge. It’s easy to lead when things are smooth. But when projects derail, conflict arises, or growth feels overwhelming, values give you a compass. Instead of defaulting to blame or avoidance, you can respond with integrity.
3. Values fuel courage. Courage doesn’t mean the absence of fear — it means acting in alignment with what matters most, even when fear shows up. Leaders who know their values don’t crumble under pressure; they show up grounded. They act even in the midst of fear.
In Brene's works, I found the changes in team dynamics that were achieved by discussing values really interesting. It's the difference between being annoyed because I can't figure out for the life of me why you handled a situation the way you did and understanding your driver and how it affected your actions. The annoyance might not be gone, but it will be lessened and it will give you a good starting point for discussion and problem resolution.
She was able to look at values across her team and meet in the middle. Now, this won't be entirely possible when you start growing your team to hundreds and thousands, but it is certainly possible to communicate your values to the team at large - to provide everyone clear understanding of what your values are, how they drive your decision making from the top, and how you expect the team to align with them in the workplace.
How to go about it? Brene has provided resources on her website to help get things going -
How to Discover Your Values
Brené’s research shows that clarity comes not from picking a long list of aspirational words but narrowing down to two core values that truly define you. (YES!!! TWO!!!! That's why I'm not done with this exercise yet!)
Here’s the process she suggests:
Start with a wide lens. Review the Wholehearted Inventory and circle the values that resonate with you.
Narrow down. Force yourself to choose just two. This isn’t easy — but it’s necessary. These two will act as your leadership anchors.
Define what they mean to you. “Integrity” might look different for one leader than another. Write down specific behaviors that show you’re living your value.
Ask yourself: Am I aligned? Reflect on where your actions support your values — and where they don’t. That gap is where growth happens. (imagine this text is shimmery & sparkling)
Living Your Values at Work
Once you’ve named your values, the next step is embedding them into your leadership:
Decision-making: When faced with tough calls, check: “Which option best reflects my values?”
Team communication: Share your values openly. It signals transparency and gives your team a way to hold you accountable. When you make a decision, explain it as aligned with a particular value - show that you are living the values that you are asking everyone else to embody.
Feedback and conflict: Respond to challenges from a place of values, not ego. If you value respect, how do you deliver hard truths respectfully?
Culture shaping: Values are contagious. As you model yours, your team will feel safer exploring and naming their own.
Your Next Step
If you haven’t yet identified your core values, today’s the day to start.
📍 Action: Take Brené’s Wholehearted Inventory. Circle the words. Narrow down to two. Write out what they look like in action.
Then, share them with someone you trust — or even with your team. Naming them out loud is the first act of accountability.
I would actually love to work through this exercise with any of you who may be interested!
👉Message support@wolfdiversified.com with Value Inventory. If there's interest, I'll put together a 6 week zoom schedule where we can talk through the process, what is driving you to which values, and how we can take those values to our teams. Working through tough things is always easier together.
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